Microglial circ-UBE2K exacerbates depression by regulating parental gene UBE2K via targeting HNRNPU.

Knowledge about the pathogenesis of depression and treatments for this disease are lacking. Epigenetics-related circRNAs are likely involved in the mechanism of depression and have great potential as treatment targets, but their mechanism of action is still unclear. Circular RNA UBE2K (circ-UBE2K) was screened from peripheral blood of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and brain of depression model mice through high-throughput sequencing.